Reedsy's marketplace connects you with genuinely vetted human editors — for $1,400 to $5,000+ and a wait of several weeks. That's a real service for a real stage of the process. It's also a serious bet on a manuscript you haven't had an honest, structured look at yet. EditRoast is the honest look: an editorial verdict and prioritized proofreading pass, delivered in 24–48 hours, from $9.90.
Different tools for different stages. Here's the honest breakdown.
| EditRoast | Reedsy | |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the review | AI-driven editorial engine | Vetted human freelance editors |
| Cost for an 80,000-word novel | $79 flat | ~$1,920–$4,560, plus marketplace commission |
| Turnaround | 24–48 hours | Typically several weeks |
| Process | Upload, pay, receive | Browse editors, request quotes, select, wait for a slot |
| Depth | High-level editorial verdict + line-level proofreading notes | Deep hands-on developmental/copy edit, back-and-forth revision |
| Best used | Before deciding whether to invest in a full human edit | When budget and timeline allow for full professional editing |
Reedsy is a marketplace connecting authors with vetted freelance professionals — editors, cover designers, and marketers, many with backgrounds in traditional publishing. Editing rates run roughly $0.014–$0.053 per word depending on service type (developmental, copyediting, proofreading, editorial assessment), which totals around $1,920–$4,560 for an 80,000-word novel, on top of Reedsy's marketplace commission.
Not instead — first. EditRoast gives you a structured, prioritized read on your manuscript's actual state before you spend weeks interviewing editors and four figures on a full edit. Some authors stop there and revise on their own; others use the EditRoast report to walk into a Reedsy conversation already knowing exactly what needs work.
It's a different kind of review, not a substitute for deep, hands-on developmental editing from an experienced human. What it does deliver: an honest, structured, prioritized breakdown of what's working and what isn't, in 24–48 hours instead of weeks, at a price that doesn't require a budgeting decision first.
For a full novel, EditRoast runs $79 versus roughly $1,920–$4,560+ on Reedsy — before commission. That's not an apples-to-apples substitute for a full professional edit, but it's a fraction of the cost for an honest first read on where your manuscript stands.
Not a replacement — a different stage. Reedsy's vetted human editors do deep, hands-on developmental and copy editing over weeks, at professional rates ($1,400–$5,000+ for an average novel). EditRoast is an AI-driven editorial verdict delivered in 24–48 hours for $9.90–$79, meant to tell you where your manuscript actually stands before you decide whether a four-figure human edit is the right next step — or before you self-publish without one at all.
Reedsy editors charge roughly $0.014–$0.053 per word depending on service type, which works out to about $1,920–$4,560 for an 80,000-word novel, plus Reedsy's marketplace commission. EditRoast charges a flat $9.90–$79 per manuscript up to 100,000 words, with no commission and no per-word math to do.
For authors with the budget and the timeline, Reedsy's vetted human editors are a legitimate, credentialed option. EditRoast exists for the stage before that decision — so you're not committing four figures and six to eight weeks to a manuscript you haven't had an honest, structured look at yet.